Tales of the Heroes
by FallaciousTiger
Summary: A series of Star Wars one-shots, mainly based on the movies.
1. Chapter 1

Luke sat in the dark, hidden from Vader's eye by a large console.

All was quiet but for the low hum of the Sith lord's lightsaber.

"You cannot hide forever, Luke."

"I will not fight you." The decisiveness in his voice was strong. Luke listened intently for Darth Vader's footsteps, his eyes tight shut.

"...Give yourself to the Dark side. It is the only way you can save your friends. Yes," Vader said, matter of factly. "Your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong. Especially for..." And there it was. Luke's mastery of the Force was not enough to hide his most powerful feelings and most important thoughts. The more he tried to hide them, the more obvious they became. "...Sister. So, you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me... Now his failure is complete." Vader was close now. Very close. "If _you_ will not turn to the Dark side," Vader said, thoughtfully, "then perhaps _she will_."

The hiss of Luke's saber igniting was drowned out by his furious voice. "NEVER!" Vader turned around just in time. Luke's lightsaber was thrust at him, a glowing green blur, and he parried with his own. His strength was startling. With his fury no longer in check, Luke Skywalker's attacks became brutal, wild. He swung wildly, hitting a console. Vader ducked out of the way, bringing his weapon to bear. The tubes of light crashed and tangled again with a clap. He backed away, and Luke advanced with reckless abandon. No longer thinking of defense, each movement Luke's weapon made was one of hateful aggression. As they dueled, passing the stairs leading to Palpatine's throne, Luke fought harder, his swings becoming more pronounced. It took everything Vader had to stave off his attacks. He blocked an overhead strike, then moved again and fell against the railing of the walkway they were on. Luke bashed repeatedly against the Sith's lightsaber, finally knocking it out of the way and severing his hand .

"Aahhh!" Vader let out a surprised cry as his stump of an arm sparked. He fell back, supporting himself with his remaining hand, and a malicious cackle came from behind the two fighters.

"Goooood..." Palpatine's voice had a callous tone to it. "Your hate has made you powerful. Now, fulfill your destiny... and take your father's place at my side!" These words seemed to bring back some sense to Luke. He looked down at the defeated former Jedi, who still held his arm out in feeble defense, then down to his own mechanical hand, which had replaced the one he lost on Bespin. He calmed himself, as Yoda had taught him, and deactivated his weapon.

"Never," Luke said, turning to Emperor Palpatine. He tossed away his lightsaber. "I'll never turn to the Dark side." Palpatine's grin vanished. "You've failed, your highness," Luke said defiantly. "I am a Jedi, like my father before me." Now Palpatine wore a very ugly look. "So be it... Jedi."


	2. Chapter 2

Obi-Wan Kenobi heard the hums and clashes of lightsabers overhead. He was hanging from a catwalk in the Theed generator complex. He pulled himself up and picked up the small metal tube that was his weapon and looked up. His master and the Sith apprentice traded blows and with each swing, there was a flash of light. Summoning the Force, he leapt up to the walkway they dueled on and ran towards them. They were headed towards a series of shield doors. He was too late- The doors activated and the three were all separated.

Qui-Gon deactivated his lightsaber and sat down to meditate. Darth Maul touched one end of his saber to the shield door, then deactivated it and began walking back and forth, like a lion circling its prey. Obi-Wan also deactivated his lightsaber, but could not find rest as his master could.

After what seemed like an age, the doors opened again. Just as suddenly, as though Qui-Gon had foreseen it, his lightsaber was back in hand and he and Maul had resumed dueling. Obi-Wan charged after them, but once again was caught behind a shield and watched as they dueled. Something in his chest swelled- it was fear. He feared what would happen to Qui-Gon. His master favored Ataru; an acrobatic style making use of the Force to perform many acrobatic movements, but here in this confined space he could not utilize it fully.

The two dueled, and it seemed Qui-Gon was getting tired. Maul, spurred on by the Jedi Master's exhaustion, pressed the attack and cornered him. Dazing Qui-Gon by striking him in the face with his hilt, he took advantage of the opening to run Qui-Gon through.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Obi-Wan's scream filled the reactor chamber. Darth Maul bared his yellowed teeth at the panicked apprentice in an evil smile, walking back and forth now, waiting for the shield doors to shut down.

Rage threatened to engulf the young padawan completely. He felt himself shaking with a mixture of grief and fury. A split second before the door had given way, both Obi-Wan's and Maul's lightsabers were activated. He charged at Maul with reckless abandon. He attacked, and again and again lightsabers met, hissing and sputtering. Obi-Wan slashed, and his hot blade met Maul's hilt and his lightsaber was split in two. He kicked out, hard, sending Maul reeling back. He was a flurry of movement, a perfect mixture of grace and offensiveness. Yet he was fueled by anger, which was against the Jedi code. He jumped towards Maul with an overzealous strike, and Maul blocked it. He pushed Obi-Wan off long enough to create an opening, during which he used the Force to send the Jedi keeling backwards into the pit.

He grabbed onto the edge just in time. The leering Sith stood over him and with a nudge of his boot, sent Obi-Wan's weapon tumbling into the pit. He swung his lightsaber and it grazed the ledge, creating sparks. Obi-Wan struggled, unable to do anything other than hang there. "Not gone. Always there, the Force is." Yoda's words penetrated his cloudy mind. He looked up into the hateful face of Darth Maul, twisted in an evil leer, and calmed his mind. He sensed his master's weapon fallen by his side, and summoning the Force, pulled himself up and leapt over the Sith's head, calling the lightsaber to his hand. Maul was so astonished he had barely enough time to turn around before the Jedi's lightsaber had passed through his waist.

Maul grunted, as the lightsaber cautorized his wound, and a red vapor rose up. The last thing he saw was Obi-Wan's face, then a whirl and rush of scenery. 


End file.
